The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 318

In the makeshift studio dressing room, Matthew slipped on the Spartan sandals. He paced back and forth, and finding the fit perfect, he gave a nod to the costumer. Then, he stood before the makeup mirror, where his stylist, who was doubling as his makeup artist for the day, immediately approached with her assistant and applied some oil to his hard muscles to make them stand out with sharper definition.

Standing in nothing but a loincloth, aside from the sandals on his feet, Matthew's body had a sculpted, statuesque beauty.

Moreover, with a high-quality prosthetic beard on his face, he looked far more mature than his actual age.

After the stylist finished applying the oil and gave him a careful head-to-toe inspection to make sure everything was perfect, she stepped back. The costumer then came forward with a red cape, draping it over Matthew.

Next, the costumer took a short sword that Zack had procured and handed it to Matthew. He hung the sword from his belt and studied his reflection in the mirror, satisfied that everything was in order.

"How does it look?" he asked the stylist.

"Magnificent!" The stylist lifted her chin, circled Matthew, and declared, "Matthew, this film doesn't even need a plot or action scenes. You'll captivate the entire female audience just by walking around like that in front of the camera."

The stylist, who had worked with Matthew for several years and knew him well, let her eyes roam over Matthew's athletic torso and exclaimed, "It's a complete waste if you don't end up endorsing a high-end men's underwear brand."

Matthew shrugged. "I'd be happy to, but no one's made an offer yet."

With his preparations finished, Matthew didn't linger any longer. He left the dressing room and walked onto the main studio floor, which was now surrounded by a green screen. Even the ground underfoot was covered in green. Zack was standing behind the camera, discussing the lighting with the gaffer.Matthew didn't disturb them. He circled the set to familiarize himself with the environment, even though it was entirely a green screen.

In the very center of the small green expanse was a pit, less than a meter deep. The pit was also lined with green screen material. He peered down and saw a thick, green safety cushion at the bottom.

He heard footsteps approach, and a tall black man walked up to them. Matthew turned his head and saw that it was someone he didn't recognize.

Just then, Zack finished his discussion and walked over to Matthew, explaining, "This is the actor I borrowed from your agency."

Matthew nodded. They had spoken a few days ago, when Zack had informed him that today's shoot was for the scene where a Persian emissary comes to Sparta to demand Leonidas's submission to Xerxes, only for Leonidas to kill the messenger.

Since it was only a test shoot, Zack couldn't assemble a large cast. There were no other characters in the scene—just Matthew and the black actor.

"Kenneth!" Zack called the black actor over, then walked with him to the pit. "When Matthew finishes his lines, he's going to kick you, and you'll fall in. Got it?"

The black actor, who had an intimidating look with metal rings piercing his face and nose, nodded in understanding.

Zack explained a few more details about the lines and blocking to Matthew and Kenneth before moving to his position behind the camera.

On the other side of the camera, Zack raised a hand while his assistant operated another camera, capturing Matthew's angle.

"Action!" Zack's voice called out.

Matthew looked at the ground and said quietly, "Water and earth..."

"Cut!"

The first line was barely out of his mouth when Zack shouted, "Cut!" He reminded Matthew, "British accent. A classical British accent, Matthew."

Matthew nodded.

He had forgotten that in most Hollywood historical epics, actors, regardless of their origins, typically spoke with a classical British accent. "Let's try that again."

Zack waited for Matthew to compose himself before calling out once more, "Action!"

"Water and earth..."

Matthew switched to a classical British accent, his expression grim, his voice ringing with intonation. "Earth and water!"

He suddenly drew his short sword and turned to point its tip at the black actor, gesturing toward the large pit behind the man as he declared, "You'll find plenty of earth and water down there!"

Clutching the short sword, the muscles in his arm tensing, Matthew instantly became more formidable, and he snarled, "You come to me with the heads and crowns of kings conquered by Xerxes, trying to intimidate me?! You insult my queen, threaten my subjects with slavery and death! I have considered your words, Persian. You should have done the same."

"This is madness! You can't kill a messenger!" the black actor exclaimed, feigning fear.

Hearing this, Matthew slowly lowered his sword and took a step back, as if reconsidering.

But then, he turned his head and looked into the camera lens behind him with an unmistakable look of resolve.

"This isn't madness... THIS IS SPARTA!!!" Matthew roared in a fit of fury, spinning around and raising his leg, knocking the black actor off balance and sending him flying into the pit.

The black actor was prepared for it, and just an instant before Matthew's kick connected, he threw himself backward, landing at the bottom of the pit.

"Cut!" Zack's voice rang out. "That's a wrap on this one."

The actor who had fallen into the pit scrambled to his feet and tried to climb out. Matthew extended a hand to help him up. Once he was out, Matthew sheathed his short sword and walked over to Zack.

"Well?" he asked.

Zack moved closer to the nearby monitor, adjusted it, and started the playback. He commented, "Overall, it's working."

Matthew stood beside him, watching the footage on the monitor. His inexperience in this area limited his understanding, and all he could really make out was the green screen surrounding him and the black actor, both moving in slow motion.

"It's high-speed slow motion," Zack explained. "But it hasn't gone through post-production yet, and the slow-motion can only play back at twenty-four frames per second right now."

Matthew nodded.

He was more or less familiar with the concept; most slow-motion shots in Hollywood films, especially action movies, were filmed at a high frame rate and then played back at a lower one.

For instance, a standard film is shown at twenty-four frames per second. A scene might be shot at forty-eight frames per second, and when played back at the standard twenty-four, it creates the slow-motion effect.

It was clear to Matthew that Zack knew his craft.

As an actor, it wasn't his place to interfere in such matters, and after watching the playback once, he went to prepare for the next scene as Leonidas.

After being handed a spear, Matthew moved to another part of the green screen set, where the floor was uneven, simulating rolling terrain.

Zack operated a camera mounted on a track. He wheeled it around, stopping about five feet from Matthew, and asked, "Ready?"

Matthew gathered his emotions and said nothing, only giving a firm nod.

Zack gestured to someone off-camera, and a large fan began to whir as he called out, "Action."

A gust of wind sent Matthew's cape fluttering behind him as he stood, spear in hand, gazing off into the distance.

The cape billowed, and Zack slowly pulled the camera back, feeling that Matthew looked absolutely stunning on camera, like a sculpture carved by Michelangelo's own hands, his body radiating an aura of sunlight, power, and beauty.

During the filming of Dawn of the Dead, he had noticed that Matthew was an excellent actor, but now, it seemed he was even better than expected.

With such a brilliant Leonidas and his own faithful recreation of the graphic novel, Zack was certain he would impress Frank Miller.

Zack locked the camera in place and executed a 360-degree shot around Matthew, sighing inwardly. It seemed he would end up with a perfect Spartan king.

The camera returned to its starting position, and Zack called, "Cut."

He gave Matthew a thumbs-up. "Amazing. That was perfect."

Handing the spear back to an assistant, Matthew discussed a few points with Zack and then moved on to the next shot.

Overall, the shoot went smoothly. Zack had been preparing for months, and the test footage was completed in just two days. But filming was only the beginning; there was still a great deal of post-production work needed to achieve the results Zack envisioned.

After Matthew finished filming his part, Helen took over all further contact with Zack, as he had to start preparing for the release of National Treasure.